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“It would mean more food on the table, definitely. And not just in my household, but many others across the state,” Thompson said. “I’ve been a fast food and service worker for over 35 years, and in that time of not having sick leave or an adequate wage to pay for any type of health insurance, it’s taken a personal toll on my mental and physical health.”

Supporters include Columbia’s Leigh Lockhart, who owns Main Squeeze smoothie shop. Lockhart says Missouri needs a wage floor that allows working people to make ends meet so they can support themselves and their families.

“Allowing workers to earn paid sick days and increasing the minimum wage is a huge step in the right direction,” said Lora Gulley, Director of Community Mobilization/Advocacy at General Health in St. Louis. “Developing a pro-family economy is good for the entire state and I’m ready to work hard this fall to ensure Missouri voters understand the opportunity we have to pass Proposition A and enable more families to thrive.”

“I supported the 2018 minimum wage ballot initiative and since then we have doubled our staff, despite the pandemic,” said Andy Montee, owner of Mokaska Coffee in St. Joseph and a member of Missouri Business for a Health Economy, a group backing the proposal. “Thanks to our wages and culture, we have excellent employee retention, teamwork and customer service,” Montee said in a statement. “The inclusion of paid sick days on this new ballot initiative is another important step forward.”

David Burmeister, owner of Midwest Pasta Co. in St. Louis, said, “Raising the minimum wage will increase people’s ability to shop at our business and local businesses across Missouri. We’re already starting employees at $15 at Midwest Pasta Co. because we’ve seen that paying better wages is better business. Employees are happier at work and do a better job. We also provide paid sick leave because we value our staff and, as a food industry business, we know it isn’t safe for sick employees to come to work. The ballot initiative will strengthen Missouri’s workforce and businesses.”

“When the minimum wage increases were proposed, everyone was afraid of what that would do to the economy,” he said. “What we’ve seen is that as wages go up, sales go up and revenue goes up.” “I bought the business in 2019, and I worked for many employers before that. I know what it’s like not to be able to make ends meet,” he said. “I don’t want my guys to feel like that. I want them to feel like they have skin in the game and they’re able to come here and own it.”

Laurie Knowlton, owner of Pickwick Underground Framing in Springfield and a member of Missouri Business for a Healthy Economy, said in a release, “When you take care of your employees, they stay longer and take good care of your customers. That’s the key to sustaining a successful small business like we have for more than 20 years. When businesses don’t pay enough to retain employees, they waste time and money on hiring and training new employees.”

“If it was me, personally, and I was sick, I will continue to work, because I know what I have to be able to provide for myself and for my family,” Ball said. “If one of my kids was to get sick at this point, I would not have an option but to lose out on pay and just take care of them.”

“Either we go to work, have a paycheck,” Thompson said, “or we take care of ourselves. We can’t take care of ourselves because, well, this vicious circle that we’re stuck in.”

“We had over 850 Missourians volunteer on this effort and we turned in 210K signatures including signatures from all 115 Missouri counties.”

“Every year, members of the working class do get sick. It happens,” Wise said. “Not only that, but we have family members and children who get sick as well. It’s just being human…”

“We think it’s important that workers be recognized for the value that their labor produces and compensated fairly for that.”

Missouri voters historically have supported minimum wage hikes.

“The minimum wage needs to be raised. Small businesses like mine depend on local customers with money to spend,” said Joseph Chevalier, owner of Yellow Dog Bookshop in Columbia, in a statement.

“If a small bookstore like ours can plan ahead for the wage increases and paid sick time in this ballot initiative, so can other businesses,” said Joseph Chevalier, owner of Yellow Dog Bookshop in Columbia.

“It is a constant stress, a constant anxiety,” Gallardo said during the rally. “People come into work sick all the time because they have no choice.”

“As a parent, … decisions are very tough when you have to choose between going to work and getting paid and being home and caring for your kids who need you,” said Crystal Buffaloe, who helped collect signatures and would be impacted by the ballot measure.